At a Monitor-sponsored lunch with reporters in Washington, Mr. Armey, co-chairman of FreedomWorks, said, “The Constitution does not envision the president of the United States saying that 'I will decide what compensations, what redress will be elicited from a British-owned company.' There are courts for this purpose. My own view is that the Constitution is far ahead of the game compared to where this president is with his current fulminations about what he will decide about whose butt to kick.”

The Associated Press reports that, under pressure from the Obama White House, BP will set aside $20 billion to pay those who have suffered as a result of the worst environmental disaster in US history. The fund reportedly will be led by lawyer Kenneth Feinberg, who oversaw payments to families of victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.